The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Fender Basses => Topic started by: eb2 on June 07, 2025, 05:32:14 PM

Title: An interesting P-bass
Post by: eb2 on June 07, 2025, 05:32:14 PM
https://reverb.com/item/86726984-fender-presicion-bass-1967-sunburst


I'm curious what others think of this odd duck. I have no concerns that there is any funny biz going on with it, but it is pretty unusual. The white guard is like a lot of early Tele basses, which would have started appearing at about the same time as the neck date. 1967 dated Precisions are pretty odd in general, but the apparently stock use of Coronado/Mustang short stem tuners is not something I have seen on a full scale bass. Prices in general keep me out of the market, but for such an odd duck it seems ok.
Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: ilan on June 08, 2025, 05:36:52 AM
Looks legit to me.

I've seen white guard sumburst P's from that time frame, and the seller says it has a pearloid bottom layer, as it should. The small lollipop tuners - well, Fender were known to repurpose surplus parts, nothing got thrown, so never say never.

Here is Entwistle in 1969 with his 1965 sunburst P with white guard, that was later refinished salmon pink and named the Frankenstein Bass.

His 1965 "My Generation" Jazz bass was also sunburst with a white guard.

(https://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/bass/69iow-jae-frankbass.jpg) (https://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/bass/19690929_amst_15.jpg) (https://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/equipment/pa/196511_rsg.jpg)
Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: Alanko on June 10, 2025, 02:00:54 AM
Mustang Bass tuners do turn up on basses from this period, but not consistently.

The white pickguard on Entwistle's Frankenstein probably didn't come from the bass that 'donated' a sunburst body. John played a black or other dark coloured P Bass prior to building Frankenstein, so the pickguard probably came from that.

(https://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/equipment/bass/67_jae_scm.jpg)



I'm always suspicious of these minty fresh vintage Fenders, with one careful old lady owner and some weird anomaly or two, that keep surfacing. I'm surprised the dealer doesn't mention the Mustang tuners as that is a cool period anomaly, however.
Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: ilan on June 10, 2025, 05:40:13 AM
Quote from: Alanko on June 10, 2025, 02:00:54 AMThe white pickguard on Entwistle's Frankenstein probably didn't come from the bass that 'donated' a sunburst body. John played a black or other dark coloured P Bass prior to building Frankenstein, so the pickguard probably came from that.

Frankenstein was refinished salmon pink, the pics I linked show it still as a sunburst with a white guard.
Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: Dave W on June 10, 2025, 07:56:12 AM
Quote from: Alanko on June 10, 2025, 02:00:54 AMI'm always suspicious of these minty fresh vintage Fenders, with one careful old lady owner and some weird anomaly or two, that keep surfacing. I'm surprised the dealer doesn't mention the Mustang tuners as that is a cool period anomaly, however.

Take any desirable vintage model and you'll find more in the market than were ever produced, so it's no surprise that there's an overabundance of little old ladies with untouched guitars under their beds. But some of them are legit.

Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: Alanko on June 10, 2025, 07:56:55 AM
Quote from: ilan on June 10, 2025, 05:40:13 AMFrankenstein was refinished salmon pink, the pics I linked show it still as a sunburst with a white guard.

Indeed, but the sunburst body and white pickguard likely didn't come from the same bass originally. I wager the sunburst body came from a bass with a rosewood fretboard and tortoiseshell pickguard. The white pickguard possibly came from the black (or dark blue) bass I posted above. This is based on a skim of gig photos of The Who from 1967 and 1968 to work out what went into Frankenstein.
Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: gearHed289 on June 10, 2025, 08:37:42 AM
Frankenstein came from at least 3 different basses. I know for sure that the pickup and controls came off a slab body P.
Title: Re: An interesting P-bass
Post by: Alanko on June 10, 2025, 01:43:08 PM
Quote from: gearHed289 on June 10, 2025, 08:37:42 AMFrankenstein came from at least 3 different basses. I know for sure that the pickup and controls came off a slab body P.

I think the neck came from a Slab too? The chrome pickup cover came from a Jazz Bass, but it doesn't look like it anything else came from the Jazz.

(https://64.media.tumblr.com/da2f3c696ca6cc13b39729360154484b/tumblr_inline_pltmdor2EJ1wskwlz_500.jpg)